Syria, NATO and Hezbollah: Turkey is alarmed by Al-Qaeda losses against the Kurds

Syria, NATO and Hezbollah: Turkey is alarmed by Al-Qaeda losses against the Kurds

Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

NATO Turkey is highlighting the shady reality that various al-Qaeda affiliated groups can openly operate within a NATO member state and within areas of close proximity. Not only this, it is abundantly clear that the Erdogan government in Turkey is more concerned about the Kurdish question than aiding and abetting al-Qaeda affiliates in border areas. Therefore, when Kurdish forces pushed back al-Qaeda affiliated groups and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the armed forces of Turkey fired into the border area of Ras al-Ain (Ras al-Ayn) in Syria.

Hezbollah in border areas between Lebanon and Syria is equally alarmed by the Takfiri and al-Qaeda threat to both respective nations. After all, both pro-Islamist sectarian movements are supported by Gulf and Western powers which despise religious diversity within Islam, oppose secularism, hate Christians and seek to crush indigenous Sunni Islam by replacing it by the Takfiri and Salafi virus. Not surprisingly, Hezbollah knows full well that its enemies seek to crush this political and religious force by stealth. This applies to destroying the religious mosaic of Syria and crushing the independence of this nation; isolating Hezbollah within the Levant; and spreading a Takfiri and Salafi ideology within the region. Given this reality, then Hezbollah wants to protect Muslims and Christians alike in border areas and to isolate Takfiris from spreading sectarianism throughout the Levant.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah commented that “Syria is the backbone of the resistance, and the resistance cannot stand with folded hands while its backbone is being broken….The battle is ours…and I promise you victory.”

Nasrallah further stated that “If Syria falls into the hand of America, Israel and takfiris, the resistance (Hezbollah) will be besieged and Israel will enter Lebanon and impose its will.” Nasrallah also voiced the need to preserve the various Muslim and Christian communities throughout the Levant against dangerous Takfiri forces. Therefore, Hezbollah is on the frontline in protecting the mosaic of the Levant against Gulf and Western powers which have various agendas in weakening this mosaic, while also reducing the influence of Iran and the Russian Federation. Syria is also deemed a threat because this nation refuses to bend to the whims of Gulf and Western powers.

Kurdish forces in northern parts of Syria just like Hezbollah are equally alarmed by the sectarian and Takfiri elements within the plethora of terrorist groups which are being assisted by outside nations. Nations supporting sectarianism, sedition and terrorism against secular Syria applies to America, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and several Gulf states. NATO is also being dragged through the mud because al-Qaeda terrorist groups have a safe haven within parts of Turkey along the vast border areas. This safe haven applies to the free transit of international terrorists from various nations, military hardware, logistics, planned operations and breathing space when they are being forced back.

The Hurriyet Daily News, media group in Turkey, reports that “People’s Defense Units (YPG) and an al-Qaeda-linked group engaged in a fierce fight yesterday near the Turkish border town of Ceylanpınar in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa.

The YPG, the militant wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) allegedly linked to Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), reportedly took control of the Ras al-Ayn-Ceylanpınar border gate amid other clashes between the YPG and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front that have been continuing since July 16.”

Al Nusra (Nusrah) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are openly affiliated within the al-Qaeda patchwork of terrorist organizations. It is also reported that the FSA assisted both al-Qaeda affiliated groups against the Kurds and this once more highlights the sham of major Western powers which seek to claim that they are supporting moderate forces. In other words, Al Nusra is a convenient scapegoat in order to exonerate America, France and the United Kingdom from being linked openly with supporting al-Qaeda affiliated groups. However, not only have major figures within the FSA spoken out in favor of Al Nusra and other offshoots of al-Qaeda; but they have announced their admiration and fought side-by-side against the Syrian armed forces and jointly attacked the Kurds in the north.

The Long War Journal reports that “If it is confirmed that elements of the Free Syrian Army are fighting alongside the ISIL and the Al Nusrah Front, it is yet more evidence that the FSA isn’t all that interested in making a break from the al Qaeda factions despite the fact that a top FSA commander was murdered by the ISIL just a week ago.”

In another report from The Long War Journal published after a leading FSA figure was murdered it was stated that “As noted here at Threat Matrix just yesterday, there is little chance that the Free Syrian Army would pursue its grievance with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant over the latter’s murder of an FSA commander in Latakia. The 24-hour FSA deadline to turn over the ISIL commander who executed the FSA leader in Latakia has come and gone. Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army, which is demanding that the US and the West pony up weapons, continues to “welcome” the ISIL.”

The above reality highlights that the FSA, Al Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant don’t trust each other and often clash over the spoils of religious cleansing and other brutal deeds that they commit. However, all opposition forces will work together against the Syrian armed forces, Hezbollah and the Kurds within respective areas when the need arises. Therefore, why is the FSA being openly backed by four NATO members (America, France, Turkey and the United Kingdom)? Likewise, why are other members of NATO keeping quiet about this and not challenging the many ratlines which exist within NATO Turkey internally and foreign funding externally? After all, it is disinformation to claim that the FSA don’t work together with various al-Qaeda affiliated groups.

Al Jazeera is no friend of secular Syria but even this agency reports that “Leaders of the Western- and Arab-backed FSA told Al Jazeera that they did not consider the ISIL an enemy, but that they would defend themselves.”

“They are welcome if they help us fight the regime,” Colonel Abdel Rahman Suweis, a member of the FSA Supreme Military Council, said.”

“But if they want to cause strife, impose a new understanding of religion and make Syria another Afghanistan, we will take the necessary measures.”

Therefore, how can America and other NATO members involved in the war against terrorism be supporters of the FSA which openly admits they don’t view al-Qaeda affiliated to be their enemy? Similarly, how is it that al-Qaeda can freely obtain military weapons and fighters by using NATO Turkey like a conduit nation state? Obviously, many Chechen and Takfiri Islamists in the Caucasus are moving freely within Turkey in order to reach northern Syria. The same clearly applies to international jihadists entering Syria by utilizing friendly Western, NATO and Gulf backed nation states.

Israel is also involved in the many ratlines against Syria because of their obsession with Hezbollah but this nation also understands what happened to Pakistan which became a launching pad for international terrorists in the 1980s and 1990s. Turkey is also worried about this angle in border areas but appears to be more worried about the Kurdish angle and toppling the secular government of Syria. Clearly, Israel and Turkey are playing a dangerous game because sectarianism, terrorism and Takfiri ideology is easy to ignite but in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan (self-induced) and other parts of the world it is nigh impossible to eradicate.

The Syrian government, Hezbollah and Kurdish forces in the north of Syria are all fighting to preserve their respective culture and heritage against sectarian backed Takfiri and terrorist organizations. In another article by Modern Tokyo Times it was stated that “The mass media is trying to hype the “sectarian card” on both sides but it simply doesn’t wash. After all, Hezbollah is focused heavily on the Palestinian question despite the overwhelming majority of Palestinians being Sunni Muslim. At no point did this enter the equation for either Hezbollah or the government of Syria. It must be remembered that the government of Syria took in over one million refugees from Iraq irrespective if Christian, Sunni or belonging to the Shia faith. Likewise, Syria welcomed vast numbers of Palestinians which fled their homeland after the creation of Israel and because of the countless convulsions which hit Jordan and Lebanon in the past.”

However, unlike the Syrian government and Hezbollah which seek to preserve the rich mosaic of the Levant and to keep the region independent. It is abundantly clear that NATO member states and Gulf powers are supporting forces which are cleansing religious minorities and seeking to eat away at mainstream Sunni Islam. The combined forces of NATO member states and Gulf powers are playing the sectarian card; sponsoring terrorism; assisting terrorist and sectarian forces; providing military hardware; utilizing the mass media throughout the Gulf and West; spreading Takfiri and Salafi Islam in order to crush Hezbollah and Syria from within; utilizing the economic blockade in order to destroy the economy of Syria; and other brutal deeds. Therefore, it is clear for the world to see that NATO members and Gulf nations are in bed with al-Qaeda backed terrorist groups; whereby these sinister outside players are playing the sectarian card in order to crush secular Syria and defeat Hezbollah by stealth. Also, for the Kurds, then like usual Turkey is only concerned about maintaining either its power mechanisms over the Kurds within northern Iraq and Turkey; or by backing any force in the world which will keep the Kurds downtrodden in areas outside of the political control of Ankara.

Shia News
Information about the persecution of the Shia and international relations.

The Heritage Foundation
A think tank—whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.

The Jamestown Foundation
Geopolitics, security news, terrorism, military developments, international relations, and major analysis.

The Moshe Dayan Center (Israel)
The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies seeks to contribute to the study and understanding of the modern history and current affairs of the Middle East and Africa.